But at least that contractor rule isn't broken

Contractor pilot fish is doing support work for this big client, and he takes his job seriously. "I would frequently be the first support tech to enter the building at 7 a.m. and often had several calls waiting for me when I arrived," fish says.
Fish knows where the problems are coming from: The network is being used beyond its capacity, so users are starting to drop off on a daily basis.

Then things get worse. "The servers started to time-out and needed to be rebooted to reconnect to the network," says fish. "This is when I learned that my key card, which allows me access to the server room, will not work before 8 a.m.

"The network manager talks with the security manager to get me access, but no dice. He is told contractors cannot have access to the server room before 8 a.m. Security won't budge, and many people are unhappy that they have to wait until 8 a.m."

Network manager and security manager go back and forth, but the security guy won't budge. The rule is the rule: No access for contractors until 8 a.m.

Then early one morning fish gets a call from the security manager. He needs access to something on a server that has dropped off the network.

"I politely reminded him that I am an outside contractor and will only be able to access the server room at 8 a.m.," fish says. "He had someone open the door for me and the issue was resolved.

"After that, I was still not allowed to have access with my keycard.

"But every day, someone from security would prop the door open and leave it unguarded."